EVA HUGHES
DC: WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING SHIFT YOU SEE IN HOW HISPANIC CREATIVES ARE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR GLOBAL NARRATIVE?
EH: Today, there is a window, a voice, and real space for Hispanic creatives
to showcase identity with clarity and confidence. What feels most exciting is that level of agency. They are stepping forward with a stronger point of view and presenting their work on their own terms, with more understanding of storytelling, positioning, and business Identity, in the end, is aesthetic, cultural, intellectual, and strategic all at once. Designers and founders are building brands and ecosystems, not just collections or images. They are
thinking about how their work lives in the world and how it holds its own place. What makes this moment so powerful is that there is more room for heritage and for a voice that feels fully
their own. It is about authorship, about having the space to be seen clearly, the voice to speak for yourself, and the confidence to define the narrative.
DC: WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING SHIFT YOU SEE IN HOW HISPANIC CREATIVES ARE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR GLOBAL NARRATIVE?
EH: Today, there is a window, a voice, and real space for Hispanic creatives to showcase identity with clarity and confidence. What feels most exciting is that level of agency. They are stepping forward with a stronger point of view and presenting their work on their own terms, with more understanding of storytelling, positioning, and business Identity, in the end, is aesthetic, cultural, intellectual, and strategic all at once. Designers and founders are building brands and ecosystems, not just collections or images. They are thinking about how their work lives in the world and how it holds its own place. What makes this moment so powerful is that there is more room for heritage and for a voice that feels fully their own. It is about authorship, about having the space to be seen clearly, the voice to speak for yourself, and the confidence to define the narrative.
DC: WHAT IS THE ONE "INVISIBLE" ELEMENT THAT SIGNALS A DESIGNER CAN BUILD A LASTING LEGACY?
EH: For me, the most revealing element is discipline, because while talent, taste, and even technical ability can be immediately apparent, discipline is what gives that form, direction, and permanence over time. It is the quiet force behind every decision, the thing that allows a designer to move from creative promise to something enduring. Discipline is what creates coherence. It is what allows someone to edit well, to know what belongs and what does not, to resist the temptation of noise, and to remain connected to a point of view even as the work evolves.
What I find especially telling is when that discipline exists alongside vision and innovation. The designers who stay with you are not the ones who simply repeat a formula or rely on a single successful idea, but the ones who continue to push forward with curiosity and consistency, while remaining unmistakably themselves. They understand how to evolve without losing their center, and that is incredibly rare. I also think you see it in the way they relate to people. In the way they connect with their team, with clients, with collaborators, and with everyone involved in bringing a vision to life. Because in the end, legacy is both what is created and what kind of world is built around the work. It is the emotional and cultural imprint someone leaves behind, the trust they generate, the standards they uphold, and the sense that what they are doing has integrity and direction. To me, that is what legacy really is. It is not just recognition or longevity, but the ability to create something with such clarity that it continues to resonate, influence, and hold its value long after the moment itself has passed.
DC: WHAT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT WHERE YOU HAD TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR VOICE IN A ROOM NOT READY TO LISTEN?
EH: Very early in my career, becoming the youngest editor in chief globally at Vogue Mexico and Latin America meant walking into rooms where I was not the expected voice. I was young, I was a woman, and I was stepping into a space where authority was often measured by very traditional standards. There were moments when I could feel that my presence was being assessed before my ideas were even heard. What stays with me most from that time is the realization that waiting for permission was not an option. At a certain point, I understood that if I kept looking for validation before moving forward, I would remain trapped in a cycle of proving rather than leading. That was a very important shift for me. I had to move from proving to deciding, from explaining my vision to standing behind it with confidence.
What I learned is that advocating for your voice is rarely about force, being louder or more performative in the room. Rather, it is about being clear, having a strong point of view, trusting your preparation, and understanding that conviction has to be visible in the way you lead, the way you edit, and the way you make decisions. There is also something else that happens in those moments. You begin to understand that your voice becomes stronger when it is supported by discipline, by results, and by the ability to remain steady even when there is resistance.
Over time, people may not immediately agree with you, but they begin to recognize consistency and direction. And that is when a voice stops being questioned as an interruption and starts being recognized as leadership. That shift changed everything for me, because it taught me that being heard and respected is something you grow into by knowing who you are, trusting what you see, the trust you earn from others, and executing with enough consistency that your perspective becomes undeniable.
DC: ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR A YOUNG WOMAN FINDING HER FOOTING IN THIS INDUSTRY?
EH: Learn to lead yourself first. That idea sits very close to me, and very close to what I explore in my Substack newsletter, Liderar(se), because before you lead anything else, a team, a brand, a business, a career, you have to know how to lead yourself through uncertainty, disappointment, and change. Because there will be tears, frustration, disappointment, and moments of real doubt. That is inevitable. What matters is what you choose to do with them. At some point, life will bring you to a threshold, where you either cross the bridge, remain standing at the edge, or let fear pull you backwards. Those moments reveal a lot about you. They ask you to decide whether you are willing to keep moving, even when things feel uncertain, uncomfortable, or unfair. I say this because this industry can be extraordinary, but it can also be demanding. It will ask for resilience, patience, and a strong sense of self. That is why your inner grounding matters so much.
Stay close to your values, standards, and to the person you want to be, especially when things become difficult. I also believe deeply that the small details matter. The same goes for how you show up or you speak to people. The way you listen, the way you follow through, the way you respond, the way you carry yourself in a room, all of it matters. Over time, those details become your reputation. They tell people who you are long before you have the chance to explain yourself. And people are everything. Relationships matter too. And that comes together with trust, generosity, and respect. This is a world built on creativity, but also on connection. Talent may open the door, but character, consistency, and the way you make others feel are what carry you forward.
DC: WHAT IS THE ONE CORE ELEMENT OF A COMPELLING STORY THAT REMAINS UNTOUCHED BY ALGORITHMS OR TRENDS?
EH: Our human capacity to create something that has not yet been done, and to make others feel it in a way that algorithms can't. That is something I spoke about during a recent keynote in Mexico City, themed Create, Grow, and Compete in the Creative Industries, at an event organized by Istituto Marangoni Miami, where I reflected on how the latest trend, AI, can expand possibilities and accelerate processes, but can never substitute the instinct, imagination, and vision required to bring something new into the world. In that sense, storytelling lives in that same space. A good story does more than communicate information. It creates connection. It comes from perspective, emotional intelligence, and the ability to sense what matters and express it in a way that resonates. I also believe in energy, in what happens when we are in the company of someone else, in what we feel through presence and emotion, in looking into someone else's eyes. Our bodies are extraordinary in the way they register what is alive, what is genuine, and what carries strength We may not always have the language for it immediately, but we feel it. And that feeling is part of what makes a story powerful. Technology can support many parts of the process, but it cannot replicate that human charge, replace originality, intuition, or the emotional connection that passes between people when something clicks. That is what remains untouched by algorithms or trends. The ability to imagine, to connect, and to create something that moves people in a way that makes your feel.
DC: YOUR INSIDER'S GUIDE TO SAN SEBASTIÁN—WHERE SHOULD WE GO TO UNDERSTAND ITS SOUL?
EH: My birthplace holds both the mountains and the sea, and for me that has always represented the duality of strength and sensitivity and in a way my own personality. I have memories with my sister at the tiovivo along the promenade and old photographs with my brothers in Monte Igueldo. It is a city you can walk in a day, and yet it leaves a lasting imprint. If you want to understand its soul, begin early in the morning at La Concha. Walk the curve of the bay before the city wakes up. Watch the surfers in the freezing water, (if it's winter), feel the calm of that hour, and then make your way up to Monte Igueldo.
For a stay, Villa Favorita or Hotel de Londres. If you stay in the latter, speak with the concierge, Leire Falcón. She is exceptional and absolutely the person to guide you. From there, head into Parte Vieja and go pintxos barhopping properly. In San Sebastián, this is part of the city's rhythm. Start at Borda Berri, continue to Bar Sport for the txangurro, then on to Txepetxa, and finish at La Viña for the Basque cheesecake.
To understand the everyday life of the city, spend time at Mercado San Martín. For a more elevated culinary experience, go to Akelarre, and if you are there in January, enjoy La Tamborrada, one of the most important and emotional traditions in the city. It takes place every year on January 20th, the city's day, and for 24 hours San Sebastián becomes a continuous rhythm of drums. I was honored to be nominated for the Tambor de Oro, the city's highest distinction, and a Tamborrada Day tradition.
If you have time to go just outside the city, drive along the coast to Getaria to have lunch at Kala-Kaipe and since it's the birthplace of Cristóbal Balenciaga, include the Balenciaga Museum. One of the greatest designers and couturiers of all time, you can see his work and how it changed the way we understand silhouette, proportion, and construction, bringing a level of discipline and architectural thinking to fashion that remains unmatched. What I love most about San Sebastián is that it knows exactly what it is. Its beauty comes from character and a very strong sense of self. And for me, it will always be a reminder that where you come from stays with you, quietly, but forever.